US history and culture for language teachers II

obligatory courses

Remote learning

The course offers an in-depth knowledge of US culture and society in the present day. It focuses on cultural events and phenomena and presents key concepts in order to grasp diverse aspects of American identity, and how they apply to teaching English. Cultural analysis leads to practical application to the EFL classroom in secondary schools and teaching adults.

The course offers an in-depth knowledge of US culture and society in the present day. An insight into the present day offers the most effective approach to the situation and interests of a teenage and adult learner. It focuses on cultural events and phenomena and presents key concepts in order to grasp diverse aspects of American identity, and how they apply to teaching English.

The course consists of thee thematic areas:

1. Key historical and social events of the 20th and 21st. centuries in the USA in a transatlantic perspective (World War I and II vs. the Polish cause; the Cold War; the sixties; the fall of communism; war on terrorism)

2. key mechanisms and institutions (American economy; technology; politics with special look at presidential elections)

3. issues relevant to a young and adult student within:

- mass culture (music, pop culture, movies),

- applied arts (architecture, city, design, fashion and dress codes, foodways, motoring),

- high-brow culture (fine arts, museum and commemoration).

Importantly, participating students' thematic prepositions and modifications are invited thus allowing them to co-construct the course content. Cultural analysis leads to practical application to the EFL classroom in secondary schools and teaching adults. Students receive a set of representative phenomena, analyze their meaning and importance, apply a critical perspective. As the next step, they independently search for information and resources as well as relevant materials in order to construct in small groups lessons and tasks for learners in secondary and higher education. The final result is delivering the prepared didactic materials in class as a team, to be discussed and commented upon.

Chris Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice, London: Sage, 2005.

Kottak, Conrad P., ed. Researching American Culture: A Guide for Student Anthropologists. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1998.

Wayne Craven, American Art: History and Culture, Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2003.

Marek Gołębiowski, Dzieje kultury Stanów Zjednoczonych, Warszawa: PWN, 2004.

Zbigniew Lewicki, Historia cywilizacji amerykańskiej. Era konfrontacji 1941-1980, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar, 2017.

David Mauk and John Oakland, American Civilization: An Introduction, London: Routledge, 2010.

Mark Rawlinson, American Visual Culture, London: Bloomsbury, 2009.

https://www.khanacademy.org/

www.pbs.org

The student knows and understands:

- K_W01 to an in-depth degree chosen facts, theories, institutions, processes,

and phenomena related to the field of studies teaching foreign languages: culture and religion studies, history, politics, administration and public policy studies, social sciences, public communication and media studies, which have

practical application in teaching foreign languages at the third

educational stage and in adult and higher education (KW 01)

- K_W02 essential terminology relating to: history, culture and religion studies, relevant to the teaching of foreign languages

- K_W08 to an advanced degree the purpose, organization, legal basis and functioning of educational, care-giving, therapeutic and cultural institutions in the USA

- K_W21 the core curriculum for teaching English at the third educational stage and language teaching requirements in higher education

Student is able to:

- K_U01 search, analyze, evaluate, select and use information, using a variety of sources and methods, including advanced information and communication techniques, in Polish and English

- K_U02 individually plan and implement, using also communication and

information techniques, typical and innovative projects connected with

teaching foreign languages in secondary schools, vocational schools, in

adult and higher education and in other educational institutions involved

in teaching foreign languages, optionally in teaching social studies at

the third educational stage

- K_U18 communicate in Polish and in a foreign language, conduct a debate using a variety of channels and techniques, with all participants in the teaching-learning process and experts in those academic disciplines that are relevant to the field of studies – teaching foreign languages, both in Polish and English

Student is prepared to:

- K_K01 pursue lifelong learning

- K_K06 interact and work in a group, performing various roles

- K_K09 participate in cultural and social issues through the use of a variety of media

At the end of the semester student obtains a class grade consisting of:

- presentation grade - 50% (very good content and technical/presentational side together with originally made materials – 5.0;fair quality and content – 4.0; basic quality and content, containing errors and mistakes – 3.0; poor quality and multiple errors and mistakes – 2.0)

- active course involvement and attendance (50%) in synchronous mode and asynchronous mode (on the Kampus2 platform). Student is obliged to complete all platform assignments and tasks in the course of the classes.

Lack of presentation, failing to meet required attendance level (2 synchronous/stationary classes) or not completing all platform assignments and tasks will result in failing the semester.

Practical tasks can be used in teaching practice.